Agriculture : Critical

Issues
By:
Danial Khan (170059)
Mishal Zikria (170044)
Brief
• On the previous episode we look through:
• History of Development of Agriculture in Pakistan
• Mughal Empire
• Later, Pre-Capitalist or Feudal modes of production in Agriculture
• Capitalist forms emerged and how they established (becoming
Dominant)
Brief
• What is learnt is about the transformation in Agriculture!
• BUT
• What is grown?
• What actually constitutes agriculture production? ….
Overview
• Agriculture sector is classified as FIVE subsectors:
1. Major Crops (✔)
2. Minor Crops
3. Livestock
4. Fisheries
5. Forestry
Agriculture Pricing Policy
• National Commission Agriculture (NCA) in 1988, examined the
issues around the agriculture pricing policy of first two
decades.
• Government main concern was to keep the cost of food low
for the urban industrial works and provide cheap raw
materials for domestic industries.
Agriculture Pricing Policy
• Government trade and pricing policies (mid 60’s)
• GOVt fixed retail consumer prices of food grains.
 Mechanization
● Judged by the various attitude of the various governments.
● Report of the national commission states that the
mechanization in Pakistan had a late start
● Even the international agencies FAO and the World bank were
involved.
Positive impact
● Increased farm incomes
● Manpower productivity
● Employment effect had a positive impact
● Total employment in the agriculture increased from 9.8 million in
1960 to Rs 14.6 million in 1986
● Value added per farm worker also went up from Rs. 946 in 1960 to Rs
1357 in 1985 and from 1959 till 1960 prices were constant
Tractorization
● In 1960 only 1665 tractors in farms in Pakistan
● In 1968 it went up to 16583 and doubled again in 1975, 1984 and in
1986 there were reported to be have 187255 tractors on farms in
Pakistan
● Tractors have become a major ingredient in agricultural production in
Pakistan
● In 2001 to 2002 there were 35038 tractors twice throughout 1990-
1998
● Annual production was 22000
● Important feature of the tractorization was that of larger type
● 80% of tractors were in the 46-45 horsepower range with 17% in the
56-65 horsepower range
● Biases because of the cost of imported tractors
● In the 1980s they bought the tractors through loans or from
remittances from the middle east
● There was a profitable use of the tractors
● By doing custom work
● Participating in earth moving operations
● By using the tractor to operate stationary threshers, cane crashers etc
● The predominantly use of the haulage was the main feature of the
utilization of tractors
● Given the old traditional bullocks at a higher rate than the rate of
acuisition of tractors
Should there be Mechanization in
Agriculture ?
AGAINST:
● Farm mechanization is capital intensive
● Will divert capital and foreign exchange from non agricultural sector
to agricultural
● The argument that mechanization increase the productivity of land
(not proved)
● Mechanization displaces labour (tenants converting into landless
labourers)
FOR:
● Mechanization encourages multiple cropping
● Free land from growing fodder for draught animals
● Mechanization will make dry farming possible
● The new package of modern inputs and greater water supply can only
be done with help of mechanization
● it lowers the cost
Thank You!